Padding support for upholstered furniture

ABSTRACT

A padding support for upholstered furniture comprising a resilient fabric consisting of a series of parallel, spacedapart, resilient cross wires extending between and connected at their ends to a pair of parallel side strands extending at right angles thereto, and a series of parallel, spaced-apart pairs of resilient wires extending parallel to and intermediate said side strands, the wires of each pair being twisted together to connect them both to each other and to said cross wires.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Robert O. lsaacs [56] References Cited 2 A l N ggg g g FORElGN PATENTS l o. f Dem 13 1968 504,871 8/1954 Canada 267/90 [45] Patented Feb. 2, i971 Primary Examiner-James B. Marbert [73] Assignee Flex-O-Lators, Inc. Attorney-John A. Hamilton Carthage, Mo. a corporation of Missouri ABSTRACT: A padding support for upholstered furniture [54] PPORT FOR UPHOLSTERED comprising a resilient fabric consisting of a series of parallel, l 2 Cl l l D spaced-apart, resilient cross wires extending between and conrawmg nected at their ends to a pair of parallel side strands extending [52] US. Cl 267/90 at right angles thereto, and a series of parallel, spaced-apart [5 1] Int. Cl .i Fl6f 3/00 pairs of resilient wires extending parallel to and intermediate [50] Field of Search 267/90, 91, said side strands, the wires of each pair being twisted together 83, 80, 86 to connect them both to each other and to said cross wires.

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PADDING SUPPORT FOR UPI'IOLSTERED FURNITURE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in that class of upholstered furniture accessories commonly known as padding supports." Such supports, commonly consisting of fabric formed of wire or wire-reinforced textile material. are ordinarily used in either of two separate and distinct modes of application. In one application the paddingsupporting sheet is. during the assembly of an upholstered cushion. simply laid over the top surface of an underlying spring deck which may be formed for example of coil springs or sinuous wires, and the padding layers of cotton felt, foam rubber or the like applied over the support sheet. In this usage, the support sheet performs the function of supporting the padding material smoothly and uniformly and preventing it from working down into the spaces between the more widely spaced elements making up the spring deck, and is commonly called an insulator pad. In another usage, the support sheet serves directly as a spring deck, being resiliently supported at some or all of its edges to provide the desired softness and yieldability. with no other primary spring deck underlying it. In this usage the support sheet performs the functions of the spring deck itself, and is commonly so denoted.

Whether a padding support is to be used as an insulator pad or as a spring deck, it is of course desirable that it be of low cost, and that it be capable of production conveniently by automatic machinery, and in sheets of any desired dimensions. To this end, a padding support is extremely wide usage consists of a series of parallel, spaced-apart spring wires extending between and anchored at their ends to a pair of parallel side strands disposed at right angles to said cross wires. In production, the cross wires are shot" longitudinally into place one after the other relative to the side strands, then cut to proper length and twisted about the side strands. In this manner, the sheet may be produced in continuous lengths, so that by producing it in a relatively few widths and cutting it to the desired lengths, sheets of all the commonly desired sizes for furniture seating of various types can be produced. To keep the cross wires properly spaced from each other across the width of a wide sheet, there are provided intermediate strands parallel to and between said side strands, which are pierced by each cross wire as it is shot longitudinally into position.

However, padding supports of the type described are subject to the disadvantage that usually the side strands, and virtually always the intermediate strands, are fonned of a soft relatively pliable material such as twisted paper, the former to provide good purchase for the cross wires as they are twisted thereabout, and the latter to permit piercing thereof by said cross wires. As a result, the sheet formed has resilient resistance to flexure about axes transverse to the cross wires, but little or no resilience about axes parallel to said cross wires. This unidirectional resilience often adversely affects the performance of an underlying spring deck if the support is used as an insulator pad, and its performance as a spring deck when it is so used. This adverse effect results from the tendency of the support to yield in a skewed plane rather than uniformly about all axes, as it is loaded.

A primary object of the present invention is therefore, the provision of a padding support of the general character described which, while not sacrificing any advantages of economy or case of manufacture, is nevertheless resiliently flexible to substantially the same degree about any axis. This object is accomplished partially by stiffening the side strands with spring wires included therein, but principally by the substitution for each of the intermediate strands, which have heretofore been essentially pliable, of a pair of spring wires passing respectively on opposite sides of each cross wire, and twisted together intermediate each successive pair of cross wires.

Another object is the provision of a padding support of the character described which may serve alternatively either as an insulator pad or as a spring deck without change, or which with very minor changes may be produced to serve specifically in either usage. Generally, this involves the provision of means along some or all of the edges of a support sheet for the attachmcnt of helical springs or the like for suspending the sheet in a furniture frame if it is to serve as a spring deck, these attaching means being unnecessary. though still useful. if the sheet is to be used as an insulator pad.

With these objects in view as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification. reference will be had to the accompanying drawing. wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partially broken away and foreshortened, of a section of padding support embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line ll-Il of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modification of the padding support;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an alternative mode of twisting the intermediate pairs of wires;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing one method of securing the ends of the intermediate wire pairs;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another method of securing the needs of the intermediate wire pairs;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing still another method of securing the ends of the intermediate wire pairs;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. I, showing a slight modification of structure; and

FIG. 1 l is a sectional view taken on line XI-Xl of FIG. 10.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and referring first to FIG. 1, it will be seen that a padding support embodying the present invention includes generally a pair of parallel side strands 2 spaced apart a distance determining the width of the support, a series of parallel spaced-apart resilient cross wires 4 extending between and attached at their respective ends to said side strands, and one or more (two shown) intermediate strands 6 extending parallel to side strands 2, spaced generally regularly between said side strands, and connected to each cross wire 4 at its intersection therewith.

Each side strand 2 is formed of a sheath 8 of a soft indentable material such as twisted paper of the like, which may or may not, as desired, have a spring steel core wire 10. The desirability of the core wires depends largely on whether the support is to be used as an insulator pad or as a spring deck, the core wires being less useful in the former usage than in the latter, as will appear.

Cross wires 4 are also formed of spring steel, and may be of smaller gauge than wires 10, if the latter are used. Each cross wire 4 is secured at its ends to side strands 2 by twisting it tightly about the sheath 8 of the associated side strand, as indicated at 12. The wire may simply be cut off, after being wrapped about the side strand, or if desired to furnish a still more secure connection, the extreme end portions of each cross wire may be twisted about the standing portion of itself immediately adjacent the side strand, as indicated at 14, to fonn a knot. Here again, whether the cross wires are knotted on themselves depends primarily on whether the support is to be used as an insulator pad or as a spring deck, as will appear. The sheath 8 provides good purchase for the cross wires, to prevent slippage thereof along the side strands.

Each intermediate strand 6 comprises a pair of spring wires 16 and 18. Wires 16 and 18 pass respectively on opposite sides of each cross wire 4, and are twisted together intermediate each successive pair of said cross wires.

The support is advantageously produced by feeding side strands 2 and intermediate wire pairs 16-18 longitudinally from reels of other continuous sources past a station where progress of said side and intermediate strands is momentarily interrupted while one of cross wires 4 is moved into position longitudinally, passing between the wires 16- 18 of each intermediate strand, cut to length and twisted about the side strands. The side and intermediate strands are then advanced by a distance equal to the spacing between successive cross wires 4. as wires 16-18 of each intermediate strand are twisted together, and the next cross wire 4 is inserted and secured as described. These steps are continuously repeated. thereby producing the support in a continuous length. from which sections may be cut in the lengths desired for each particular application. preferably automatically as the support is formed. Thus by forming the support in a relatively few widths and cutting it to the desired lengths. supports of a large variety of lengths and widths may conveniently be produced.

The twisting of wires 16-18 of each intermediate strand 6 may take several different forms. In FlGS. 1-3 and 7-9, these wires are twisted continuously in the same direction, there being one-half twist between successive wires 4. The half-twist has the advantage of being relatively easy to perform in manufacture, and also tends to prevent permanent bending of said wires, and thus to better preserve the function of intermediate strands 6 in providing resilience of the support about axes parallel to wires 4. However, to use the half-twist, the twists between successive pairs of wires 4 must all be in the same direction, since any reversal of the half-twist, say from a right to a left-hand twist, would simply cancel all of the twisting and leave wires 16 and 18 unconnected with each other. Twisting continuously in the same direction complicates the delivery of wires 16 and 18 from continuous sources such as wire reels, since said wires of course then tend to become twisted between the reels and the wire 4 last inserted. For these reasons, it is desirable that the twist of wires 16 and 18 be reversed from time to time, for example as shown in FIG. 6, wherein the direction of twist is reversed between each successive pair of wires 4. As shown, this requires at least a full twist between successive pairs of wires 4, in order to twist wires 16-18 together. However, even this full twist may be performed, with the proportions shown, with little impairment of their transverse resilience, and it does have the advantage of pressing wires 16-18 into a tighter grip on wires 4, so that little slippage along wires 4 can occur. A greater number of twists between successive pairs of wires 4 will still further increase this gripping function, but will to a somewhat greater degree impair the transverse resilience of strands 6. Also, without undue fouling of the feed of wires 16-18 the twisting thereof may be maintained in the same direction between perhaps three or four successive pairs of wires 4, then reversed for a like number of wires 4. At each reversal of twist direction, there must be at least one full twist, though at all other points a half-twist would be adequate.

When the support is cut off in the lengths desired for actual use, the wires 16-18 of each intermediate strand 6 must be secured together to prevent unravelling" of said wires. This may be done in several ways. For example, wires 16-18 may be twisted tightly together at each end of the support, as illustrated at 20 in FIG. 7, or electrically fused or welded together, as illustrated at 22 in H6. 8, or the entire lengths of intermediate strands 6 could be encased, by a dipping process, in a sheath 24 of flexible plastic or the like, as illustrated in F IG. 9. Though not illustrated, the cut ends of wires 16 and 18 could also simply be folded or twisted sharply about the associated endmost cross wires 4. The plastic sheathing method shown in FIG. 9, in which it will be understood that sheath 24 may encase every strand of the support, including side strands 2 and cross wires 4 as well as intermediate strands 6, has certain noteworthy advantages. First, it not only prevents the resilient unraveling of wires 16-18 of the intermediate strands, but also secures all the strands of the support in proper relation, resisting strongly any tendency of strands 6 to slip along wires 4, and of wires 4 to slip along side strands 2. Second, it tends to prevent nearly all rubbing, scraping or grating noises of wire moving against wire, such noises of course being highly objectionable in upholstered furniture. Third, it encases and shields raw ends of wires which could rip, tear or other damage layers of padding supported by the assembly. Fourth, it permits manufacture and sale of the support in continuous, indeterminate lengths, form which sections of the desired lengths may later be cut with no tool other than a pair of wire cutters, while on the other hand the twisting or welding methods of securing the ends of wires 16-18, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. can be performed most simply and effectively only at the time of original manufacture of the support.

In the modification of the invention shown in FIG. 3. which is intended primarily for use when the support is to be utilized as a spring deck, each end of each intermediate strand 6 is extended and the wires '16-18 thereof twisted together to form an eye 26. and each end of all or some of cross wires 4 are extended outwardly beyond their associated side strands and twisted to form eyes 28. Eyes 26 and 28 are each adapted to have one end of a helical steel spring or other longitudinally extensible member engaged therein, said longitudinally extensible members then being extended outwardly from the support and connected at their outer ends to a rigid furniture frame to suspend the support yieldably.

When the support is to be used as an insulator pad, a section thereof of the desired size. usually such as to substantially cover the cushion area, is simply laid over an underlying spring deck, without direct attachment thereto. and padding material applied over the support and secured in place by cover sheets of leather, cloth, plastic or the like. The resilience of wires 4 and 16-18 provide the desired uniformity of flexible yieldability of the support about any axis. Wires 4 must be spaced closely enough together to prevent the padding material from working downwardly therebetween (about, 1 inch between wires has been found satisfactory for most padding materials), and intermediate strands 6 should be spaced so that they balance the flexibility of the support about axes parallel to wires 4, with the flexibility of the support about axes transverse to wires 4, as provided by wires 4 themselves. Due to the formation of intermediate strands as doubletwisted wires, the spacing between said strands may be much greater than that between wires 4, perhaps 4-5 inches in the example given above. The precise number and spacing of intermediate strands for a support of given width may be determined experimentally. It may be desirable, for example, to space said strands closer together in the central, main load carrying area of the support. In this usage, eyes 26 and 28 are not essential, though they still possess utility. For example, if it is desired to secure the support firmly to an underlying spring deck, to prevent the support from walking" or creeping gradually out of position as a result of continuously repeated flexings in normal usage, said eyes form convenient points of attachment for hog rings or other clips of this purpose. Also, as long as said eyes lie substantially in the plane of the support, as shown, the padding material tends to work into and through said eyes, thus effectively anchoring? the support against the described walking or creeping displacement. Also, when the support is used as an insulator pad, side strands 2 in many, perhaps most, cases overlie or are directly adjacent relatively stifi" border wires of the underlying spring deck. in these cases, resilient stiffening of the side strands is not necessary, and the spring wire cores 10 thereof could be dispensed with as a further economy.

In the use of the support as a spring deck, it serves as the sole support for padding applied thereover with no underlying spring deck therebeneath, and must therefore be supported around its edges by helical steel springs or the like, as previously described. Eyes 26 and 28 serve as attachments for such springs. In other respects, the support functions in this usage much the same as when it is used as an insulator pad. In this usage the stifi'ening of side strands 2 by core wires 10 is important to give the support the edge stifiness necessary for efficient support by the suspension helicals. In this connection, it will be noted that while FIG. 3 shows eyes 28 at each end of all of wires 4, the stiffness imparted to side strands 2 by core wires 10 in many cases permits the use of a helical edge suspension spring at perhaps only every third or fourth wire 4, since the tensile load of several adjacent wires 4 is transmitted by wire 10 to a single eye 28. However, while for this reason a large number of eyes 28 could be dispensed with, it is nevertheless useful to have them at each of wires 4, so that the suspension helicals can be distributed as desired along the side edges of each support. while if the eyes 28 were disposed at perhaps only every fourth wire. and if the sections were cut from a continuous length of the support. said eyes might be improperly distributed for any given section when so cut off. Also. eyes 28 could be entirely eliminated as in H65. 1 and 4. and the edge suspension springs could be hooked directly on side strands 2 if desired. It is in connection with the usage of the support as a spring deck that the "knotting" of wires 4 on themselves, as indicated at I4. is of particular importance, as it permits the deck to carry heavy loads with no danger that wires 4 will be pulled free of the side strands. When the support is to be used solely in its insulator pad function, this knotting could be dispensed with as a further economy.

In all of the modifications thus far described the wires 16- I8 of each pair 6 have been of equal weight or gauge. However, FIGS. 10 and 11 show a padding support similar in all respects to that shown in FIG. 1, except that wires 1618 of each pair 6 are of unequal gauge, wire 16, for example, being substantially heavier than wire 18 as shown. The heavier wire 16 is disposed to pass at the same side of each of the cross wires 4 of the support, and is adapted to remain straight, except of course when the support is flexed in normal usage, while the smaller wire 18 of the pair is passed alternately about wire 16 and successive wires 4. Wire 18 may be passed about wire 16 in alternately opposite directions between successive pairs of wires 4, as shown, or wire 18 could be wrapped continuously in the same direction about wire 16, similarly to the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

The use of wires 16-18 of unequal gauges has certain advantages with respect to providing greater resilient stiffness to the support about axes transverse to wire pairs 16-18, when this stiffness is desired. One of these advantages is economy, in providing greater stiffness for the least wire cost. As is well known, the stiffness of a wire in simple beam bending is proportional to the moment of inertia of the cross section, and is hence proportional, for a circular wire, to the fourth power of the wire diameter. On the other hand, the weight of the wire (and hence its cost since it is sold by weight) is proportional to the square of the diameter. Therefore it is apparent that the most stiffening effect for the least cost can be achieved by using a heavier wire to provide the desired stiffness, and a light gauge wire for the purposes of assembly and gripping. When using wires 16 heavy enough for this purpose, it is not practical to pair them with wires 18 of equal gauge since twisting them together between wires 4 would then require great force, and also result in relatively extreme deformation of wires 16- 18, since the twist must be accomplished in a short span. As previously explained, permanent defonnation of spring wires tends to impair their elasticity and spring strength. Therefore, securing wire 16 in place by means not requiring deformation of the former, so that its initial proportionately great stifiness (due to its heavy gauge) is not impaired or reduced by deformation, still further reduces the overall weight of wire required to produce a given stifiness.

While 1 have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. A padding support for upholstered furniture comprising a generally planar sheet including:

a. a series of generally parallel, spaced-apart resilient cross strands. and

one or more intermediate strands of resilient material extending transversely to said cross strands intermediate the ends of the latter. each of said intermediate strands being secured to each of said cross strands at its point of intersection therewith. each of said intermediate strands comprising a pair of resilient spring wires, said wires passing respectively at opposite sides of each of said cross strands an being twiste together intermediate each successive pair of said cross strands.

2. A padding support as recited in claim I wherein the pair of wires constituting each of said intermediate strands are twisted in a A turn between successive pairs of said cross strands, the direction of said twist being the same between successive pairs of cross strands.

3. A padding support as recited in claim 1 wherein the pair of wires constituting each of said intermediate strands are twisted together in one direction between one or more successive pairs of cross strands, and are twisted together in the reverse direction between one or more following successive pairs of cross strands, said wires being twisted together at least one full turn between any successive pair of cross strands at which the direction of twist is reversed.

4. A padding support as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a pair of side strands parallel with said intermediate strands and respectively intersecting the opposite ends of said cross strands, the opposite ends of each cross wire being firmly attached to said side strands.

5. A padding support as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said side strands includes a longitudinally extending resilient spring wire, each of said cross strands constituting a resilient spring wire having its ends knotted tightly about said side strands.

6. A padding support as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said side strands comprises a resilient spring wire enclosed in a sheath of soft, indentable material, and wherein each of said cross strands constitutes a resilient spring wire having its end portions clamped tightly about said side strands in indenting relation to the sheaths thereof.

7. A padding support as recited in claim I with the addition of means for securing together the corresponding ends of the pair of resilient wires forming each of said intermediate strands.

8. A padding support as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a sheath of soft, pliable material completely encasing at least the intermediate strands of said support.

9. A padding support as recited in claim 4 wherein the entire support, including the side, cross, and intermediate strands thereof, is provided with a sheath or coating of a soft, pliable material. I

10. A padding support as recited in claim 4 wherein certain of said cross and intennediate strands are extended outwardly at the edges of said support, the extended portions thereof being formed to present eyes for the attachment thereto of helical suspension springs or the like.

1 l. A padding support as recited in claim 1 wherein the pair of wires constituting each of said intennediate strands are respectively of different gauges.

12. A padding support as recited in claim 11 wherein the heavier wire of each of said pairs is normally straight, lying entirely at one side of the plane established by said cross strands, and wherein the lighter wire of each pair passes at the side of each cross strand opposite to that at which said heavier wire is disposed and passes about said heavier strand intermediate each successive pair of said cross strands. 

1. A padding support for upholstered furniture comprising a generally planar sheet including: a. a series of generally parallel, spaced-apart resilient cross strands; and b. one or more intermediate strands of resilient material extending transversely to said cross strands intermediate the ends of the latter, each of said intermediate strands being secured to each of said cross strands at its point of intersection therewith, each of said intermediate strands comprising a pair of resilient spring wires, said wires passing respectively at opposite sides of each of said cross strands and being twisted together intermediate each successive pair of said cross strands.
 2. A padding support as recited in claim 1 wherein the pair of wires constituting each of said intermediate strands are twisted in a 1/2 turn between successive pairs of said cross strands, the direction of said twist being the same between successive pairs of cross strands.
 3. A padding support as recited in claim 1 wherein the pair of wires constituting each of said intermediate strands are twisted together in one direction between one or more successive pairs of cross strands, and are twisted together in the reverse direction between one or more following successive pairs of cross strands, said wires being twisted together at least one full turn between any successive pair of cross strands at which the direction of twist is reversed.
 4. A padding support as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a pair of side strands parallel with said intermediate strands and respectively intersecting the opposite ends of said cross strands, the opposite ends of each cross wire being firmly attached to said side strands.
 5. A padding support as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said side strands includes a longitudinally extending resilient spring wire, each of said cross straNds constituting a resilient spring wire having its ends knotted tightly about said side strands.
 6. A padding support as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said side strands comprises a resilient spring wire enclosed in a sheath of soft, indentable material, and wherein each of said cross strands constitutes a resilient spring wire having its end portions clamped tightly about said side strands in indenting relation to the sheaths thereof.
 7. A padding support as recited in claim 1 with the addition of means for securing together the corresponding ends of the pair of resilient wires forming each of said intermediate strands.
 8. A padding support as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a sheath of soft, pliable material completely encasing at least the intermediate strands of said support.
 9. A padding support as recited in claim 4 wherein the entire support, including the side, cross, and intermediate strands thereof, is provided with a sheath or coating of a soft, pliable material.
 10. A padding support as recited in claim 4 wherein certain of said cross and intermediate strands are extended outwardly at the edges of said support, the extended portions thereof being formed to present eyes for the attachment thereto of helical suspension springs or the like.
 11. A padding support as recited in claim 1 wherein the pair of wires constituting each of said intermediate strands are respectively of different gauges.
 12. A padding support as recited in claim 11 wherein the heavier wire of each of said pairs is normally straight, lying entirely at one side of the plane established by said cross strands, and wherein the lighter wire of each pair passes at the side of each cross strand opposite to that at which said heavier wire is disposed and passes about said heavier strand intermediate each successive pair of said cross strands. 